Finalists announced for Yachting Australia Awards 2016

by Jane Gordon 19 Oct 2016 20:11 BST 29 October 2016

Off the back of another hugely successful Olympic and Paralympic campaign for Australian sailing, athletes, Clubs, officials and contributors will be honoured at the sport's Awards night in Sydney.

The 2016 Australian Sailing Awards will be held at the Noble Dining Room, Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday 29 October.

Last year's Male Sailor of the Year award winners, Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan have again been nominated for the top gong. The Rio 2016 Silver medallists will face tough competition from fellow Olympic Silver medallists Jason Waterhouse, Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen as well as Rio Gold medallist Tom Burton. Lee Knapton and Ricky Bridge are also nominated, becoming the first sailors to win the 16 foot skiff National Championships and 18 foot skiff National Championships in the same season.

2015 Female Sailor of the Year Lisa Darmanin is again nominated and will be hard to beat after winning Silver alongside Jason Waterhouse at the Rio Olympics. She will face competition from fellow Olympians Ashley Stoddart, Carrie Smith and Jaime Ryan as well as 29er World Champions Annabelle Davies and Hayley Clark and budding 420 stars Nia Jerwood and Lisa Smith.

Australia was the most successful nation at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, winning two Gold and one Silver from the three classes at the Games. The entire Australian Paralympic Sailing Team will be nominated for Sailor of the Year with a Disability, along with each of the athletes in their respective boat classes. Daniel Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch won Gold in the Skud18, Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden won Gold in the Sonar whilst Matt Bugg broke through for Silver in the 2.4m. Stewart Cathie is also nominated for his success in the HANSA class.

Finalists for the Youth Sailor of the Year are: 29er World Champion Tom Crockett; Laser Radial State, National and World Youth title holder Conor Nicholas; 420 Australian Champions Nicholas Sharman and James Grogan; Laser Radial Youth Champion Zoe Thomson; and ISAF Youth World Laser Radial Champion Alistair Young.

Finalists for the Sport Professional Award are: Katie Culbert - Program Manager for the Australian Sailing Team; Nick Hutton - Sailing Operations Manager with Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania; and Mark Robinson - Performance Manager – Pathway for Australian Sailing;

Finalists for the Sport Promotion Award are: Nicole Douglass for her intrepid communications business 'Adventures of a Sailor Girl'; The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club for their Integrated disAbled Sailing Program; and Woollahra Sailing Club for the 2016 Splash Festival.

Awards will also be given for the State nominated Coach of the Year, Official of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Instructor of the Year and Club of the Year.

The list of all finalists follows, and biographical information can be found at www.sailing.org.au/about-us/australian-sailing-awards/2016-nominations

MALE SAILOR OF THE YEAR - FINALISTS:

Mathew Belcher & Will Ryan
Tom Burton
Daniel Fitzgibbon
Lee Knapton & Ricky Bridge
Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen
Jason Waterhouse

FEMALE SAILOR OF THE YEAR - FINALISTS:

Lisa Darmanin
Annabelle Davies & Hayley Clark
Nia Jerwood & Lisa Smith
Carrie Smith & Jaime Ryan
Ashley Stoddart
Liesl Tesch

SAILOR OF THE YEAR WITH A DISABILITY - FINALISTS:

Australian Paralympic Sailing Team
Matt Bugg
Stewart Cathie
Daniel Fitzgibbon & Liesl Tesch
Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris, Russell Boaden

YOUTH SAILOR OF THE YEAR - FINALISTS:

Tom Crockett
Conor Nicholas
Nicholas Sharman & James Grogan
Zoe Thomson
Alistair Young

SPORT PROMOTION AWARD - FINALISTS:

Nicole Douglass – Adventures of a Sailor Girl
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club – Integrated disAbled Sailing
Woollahra Sailing Club – Splash Festival

SPORT PROFESSIONAL AWARD - FINALISTS: